DISCUSSION BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY IN BIH AND THE DELEGATION OF THE NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

Denis Hadžović, PhD, Secretary General of the Center for Security Studies, together with Lord Jopling, chairman of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security of the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO, chaired the session during which discussions were held between representatives of civil society organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the members of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security and Subcommittee on democratic governance of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, who are in a two-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In an open discussion, the representatives of the civil society presented their views on the integration process aimed at EU and NATO. In addition to bringing the real problems faced by Bosnia and Herzegovina on economic, social and political level, and the conclusion that identity issues are insisted upon instead of the integrative, a lot of reasons that conclusively point to the expediency of faster integration into Euro-Atlantic structures were emphasized. In response to questions by renowned interlocutors from the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO, it was emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina is exposed to both external and internal challenges on its path to EU and NATO, but all agree that we should invest much more effort in achieving the declared external political objectives of Bosnia and Herzegovina and prevent the rhetoric of politicians who are ambiguously used in official and public spheres. Working with young people was also highlighted as a very important prerequisite for the future and prosperity Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In addition to representatives of the CSS, the representatives of the civil society at the meeting were: